The Montréal police violently repress demonstrations against austerity (among others) while simultaneously opposing the negative effects of austerity on their own pension fund. In doing so, the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal and its membership use political profiling as a pressure tactic and bargaining tool for their own self-interest.

This undisciplinary installation of 148 photo portrait prints, a video montage and protest sign reproductions juxtapose five oppositional artefacts : cardboard protest shield, plastic Anonymous/Guy Fawkes mask, paper anarchopanda mask, as well as, the Montréal Police Fraternity’s red tuque and black flag. The interplay of these divergent artefacts reveal a narcissistic Montréal Police Fraternity and its corrupt use of protest (its own, as well as the protests of those they simultaneously repress) to gain political clout. The artefacts assembled and remediated within the installation were all acquired during demonstrations in Montréal since the “police politique” protest sign shield was found in Square-Victoria at the beginning of the anti-austerity demo on April 2, 2015. The street performances took place between April 2, 2015 and May 1, 2016. The performance’s red tuque and black shield are a foreground intrusion to the background actions of Montréal’s municipal police.

The police’s lame tactic of wearing their red tuque/cap during patrols actually opposes nothing. It seeks to consolidate power by maintaining the status quo. It is a public relations prop in an attempt to recover from their sullied reputation, using its corporate logo and red headgear as beacons of despair.